Fruits Basket The Momiji Example
by Kittensrcutelikeme
Summary: Momiji has changed since Tohru has becom the head of the Sohma family, and his heart leads him to make a very important decision...


Fruits

Basket

Begin Chapter 1

The Sohma's really d storms because of the danger and wetness, because there was nothing for them to do but stay inside. About a half an hour after Tohru left to go to visit her injured grandfather, the heavens opened, and soon to go outside was to drown in the weather. Not only did the 's absence darken the mood, but also the rain wallowed everyone down further. Everyone, that is, except Hiro, who got to snuggle with a scared Kisa, who was scared of all the rain.

Now, Kisa and Hiro had long since proclaimed their love for one another, and the now 15-year-olds were happily declared a couple. Also, they would often snuggle like this on the couch, rallying around the twenty-year-old Tohru.

Kyo now owned the dojo, and had some very dedicated students.

Yuki had left for America about a year previous and had met someone special. They were really serious with their relationship and Yuki still loved Tohru because she had helped him get his emotions back on track. But his life was less confusing and happier, so everyone was happy too.

Now, the rest of the Zodiac members will come later. For now, let's say the curse was less confusing with Akito gone.

At this part I come to Momiji, the half-German and half-Japanese boy, who is still struggling to find a place to fit. Now, Momiji had grown up to be a serious boy, gone were his happy days of carefree innocence. Back on that night, when Akito had hurt Tohru, he was so ashamed. The next day, though he felt different, he pushed the feeling aside, too intent on being happy, for one day more.

'I could not change for her sake, I could not love her for her sake, I could not die for her sake, all I did was for her, and she could never love me…' Momiji couldn't help but morn over those carefree days that he had had with Tohru. She was perfect, and yet Momiji, too soon, was pushed to a back alley in lei of Kyo and Yuki, the ever-competing ones. His love blossomed and grew, until Tohru was all that he would ever want. But, Tohru was ever the affectionate friend, and nothing more, or…

"Momiji!"

"Huh, what?" the young man looked up from underneath his dark sunglasses, (which he had taken to wearing all the time,) and peered through his long, autumn blond curls.

"Momiji, you are distracted again," Shigure said from his place at the table, where he was sipping at some tea.

Momiji shrugged, he didn't ever notice when people talked to him anymore, his 'moods' had become more, "So? Did you _want_ anything?" he asked bitterly, wanting was his whole being now.

"No, I only inquired about the book you are pretending to read, upside-down, I might add," the dog asked the former happy-go-lucky rabbit. "But seeing as how you are never the same from one day to another, you can just stare blindly again, or, you can come have some tea. It's really good, Tohru made it before she left."

Tohru! There she was again! Always Tohru. She was always there, even when she was gone, but she made the best tea, so he pulled his long, lanky frame off the couch and over to the table, grunting a half-hearted, Thank you, to Shigure as the man handed him his tea.

Shigure stared pointedly at Momiji for a while, "The rain," he asked the fragile, yet stony male.

Rain, rain and spring; rain becomes spring; rain is the spring. Ok, rain is good enough. "No, not the rain," Wait! I was supposed to blame the rain, can I take it back, ah! Why, why, why can't I control my tongue? But now Shigure is looking expectantly at me. I look down. Hah! My tea is finished; I can leave.

Momiji shrugs, "Not the rain." With that, the young man gets up and turns around, leaving the room to go, to go, to go to the basement, to wait, and think, and hope…

"If I cannot control my tongue

who does?

If I don't know my heart

Who can?

If I never break

If I never move on

If I never risk

Can I be strong?"

I sigh, resting my elbows on either side of my keyboard. What has happened to me? I was the carefree rabbit. I watched 's with Kisa, Haru, and Tohru. I loved having fun, and being active. What happened? I always have had hidden feelings, yes, but the more I have matured, even though I was mature then, the more my feelings, yes, the hidden feelings, have grown. I now get up from my computer, save the document and shut it down, and then I seat myself on the basement couch.

"I'm back, achoo!" the light, happy voice of Tohru rings out upstairs, followed by her sneeze.

"Welcome back!" is heard, as well as the light footsteps of Kisa, who hugs her onee-chan, even when she's wet.

"Tohru, you may want to get out of those wet clothes, or you will get sick!" Hiro commands Tohru, who is still a 'dumb-woman,' but she is perfect the way that she is.

The footsteps move away from the entrance above me and towards the room wings. "Tohru," I whisper to the woman above me, "Tohru," Now I taste the name, savoring its flavor. "My heart."

Three years past, Tohru had discovered how to break the curse. She had to become a part of it. Though becoming a part of it had been hard, she had to proclaim loyalty to Akito, and share some of the god-man's powers so that a Zodiac animal could be created for Tohru. Then, to Akito's amazement, as he shared his powers, Tohru seized them, absorbing the god power. And as she took the power, she formed it into her own animal, in honor of her mother, a red butterfly. Akito went into a coma-like state of shock. And Tohru bonded with all the Zodiac members, to show that they had willingly become not cursed, anymore, but blessed. Hatori became an actual dragon; Ayame became less affected by heat and cold; even Rit-san could be the man he should have always been. And Tohru, she changed the most. Her new guardian, the Red Butterfly, showed her how to make the affects (the hugs) less affective. So now, the Sohma's could show affection, and they could call on their powers at will, rather than in sickness, or touch. They could live the relatively normal lives that they always wanted. And when Tohru accepted Kyo, both into the Zodiac (he couldn't get his own year, but now he has February 29th, all those born then are 'born' into the year of the cat) and into the Sohma's, the banquet was complete. All attended. Rat and Cat, sitting together, Boar, Ox and Horse, Ram and Tiger, Dragon and Dog, Rooster and Rabbit, Snake and Monkey, and newest of them all, Red Butterfly.

She accepted each and every one of us, and she loves all of us equally. And she is in no way like Akito at all. Hatori and his wife and their child love her, Yuki and his fiancé love her, Kyo loves her, and Kisa and Hiro love her. Shigure and Ayame love her; Rin and Haru love her, Kagura loves her, and monkey and rooster love her as well. I love her, but in a _more_ way. I love her so much…

I lower my eyes as I hear the door open and light flood the basement. Then the light footsteps on the stairs, then, "Momiji? Are you down here?" Her light voice and cheery expression float down the stairs with her. "Hai," I whisper, "I am here." "Momiji, why are you in the dark down here?" "The glare of the lights hurts my eyes," I say truthfully, for it had gotten that the sunglasses were more than rebellion, they had gotten so that my eyes hurt if I am not wearing them. "Would you like me to go away and keep the door closed?" She asked, standing up as though to leave. "No, no," I say, reaching out, taking her hand, and pulling her to the seat beside me. I push my sunglasses onto my eyes and look at her. "See, I'm fine with my sunglasses on." "I could just go," she begins. "No, it's fine, I like it when you sit with me." I look away, "It's…calming." I look back at her face to see her eyes closed and a light smile on her face.

I can't be peaceful without, I can't be me, without you, and, oh Gods, I love you. "Calming, yes, there is less to distract, and less to think about down here," she reasoned. "But are you here for other reasons?" Yes, my heart order me to shout, yes, I'm here for you, I can think about you here, I can dream about you here, I can love you here. "No, other than the light, no," I sigh inwardly as I say this, my spirit animal, The Rabbit, has told me many times, as he is contacting me often now, that I should be more upfront. Upfront is hard when the one you love is the God, Red Butterfly. "Momiji, why have you changed? Why are you always wearing dark colors, and your sunglasses?" Tohru asked, as she often did.

I sigh, I will answer as I feel I should. "I have changed, because you no longer need me to be bouncy, I have changed because I need to, I have changed, because it was my turn to, and I have changed, because I could not stop myself." I look away and close my eyes. Was it the wrong thing to say, or was I too cryptic? But then I feel her, as she wraps her arms around me and hugs. I want to kiss her, but I only turn and wrap my arms around her, hugging. "So wise, you know more than we give you credit for," she starts rubbing my back. I bury my head in the crook of her neck and inhale lightly. She smells like she always has, spiced peaches and cream.

"You smell good," I whisper, as I start playing with the ends of her hair. "Oh!" she sputters, "Th-thank you!" I want to sit there forever, her hair between my fingers and her arms rubbing my back, but I do not often get what I want. "Tohru, I," I begin, but I am cut off. "Tohru!" A small boy with tousled brown hair hurls himself between us and hugs Tohru. "Tai-kun," Tohru smiles happily, "When did you get here?" I back away a bit, my words dying in my mouth, why, why, why am I always interrupted? The small, three-year-old beams up at her and says, "Daddy and Mommy have come to see Gure-sensei and they let me come to see Tohru nee-chan!" Then the words tumble from his mouth like water from a waterfall.

Distress must have shown on my face, for she picks up the boy and takes him away, still chattering, up the stairs. I think she said something when she shut the door, but what? Ah. At least I can take off my sunglasses now, since the light is not there to pain me. But it also means that she is not here either. I miss her already, but I miss her all the time now, even when she is near me, I miss her. Love has confused me beyond all hope, and yet I never want it to end. Oh, gods, If only I could do as Rabbit says, If only I could be more upfront, more bold, and less, much, much less, selfish.

End Chapter 1


End file.
